Inter-Korea

Unification Minister: N. Korea Threatens or Cajoles Defectors in South

Write : 2017-10-31 18:14:21Update : 2017-10-31 19:00:54

South Korea's Unification Minister has confirmed North Korean spies have tried to threaten or cajole some North Korean defectors living in the South.

Cho Myoung-gyon made the disclosure during the parliamentary inspection on Tuesday, when asked by Representative Park Byeong-seug of the ruling Democratic Party to confirm Pyongyang's suspected behavior.

The minister also agreed with Park’s criticism about a loophole in Seoul's protection of the defectors after the lawmaker pointed out that the North's ability to track the whereabouts or contact information of the defectors could put them at serious risk of harm.

Cho vowed to strengthen measures to protect defectors in the South, including enforcing more limits on who can access the database of the defectors' personal information, and fortifying computer systems against North Korean hackers.

He said the ministry will also consider strengthening protective measures for defectors if their information is leaked.